Rex and Ginger go home again while Snowflake heads to Colorado
From bahamaislandsinfo
Rex and Ginger came to the Humane Society of Grand Bahama shelter in October of 2011 as young dogs.
Their family had taken them in as small puppies and raised them with love and treated them as family members. They even house-trained them, and they lived both inside and out. Sadly, their landlord realised the dogs were living inside and told them the dogs had to go.
They were bereft and so upset but were not able to move at that time, as a move to another rental at that time would have cost them too much and they were working towards buying a home of their own. So they brought their precious babies to the HSGB shelter, where they have lived for almost two years now.
Many people surrender their pets and never look back. Rex and Ginger’s family were an exception. They visited often and they called, too, to check on them. We finally asked them to stop visiting some months ago as the dogs were always so happy to see them, and then so dejected when they left and we felt it was detrimental to Rex and Ginger. We’re still not sure if we were right or wrong in that decision; but to their credit the family did not give up and called often to check on them.
Our shelter is so crowded and despite our posting them on our various online outlets for adoption, there was never any interest in these two lovely potcakes. The decisions we have to make regularly are very hard for us, but we are very glad today that we kept giving Rex and Ginger chance after chance.
Their family called us last week. Their new home is finally a reality, they bought a house and are renovating it. One of their criteria was a secure fence; even though the dogs will live inside they knew we would want to see a fence too. We did the home visit on Monday and on Tuesday, Rex and Ginger went back HOME.
We appreciate this family so very much; as they could have just forgotten about these two dogs and gotten new puppies, as so many do. We are so happy for these two wonderful dogs, and feel confident they will live long happy lives with their beloved people.
Some of you may have seen posts on our Facebook page recently about a little potcake named Snowflake.
She was brought to us in June after having been hit by a car. Her spine was fractured and her back legs were not working. The owner surrendered her, as they didn’t have the resources to deal with a handicapped puppy who obviously, could not continue to be a yard dog.
While she was obviously handicapped, she was not in pain or suffering, and this little dog’s spirit and will to live was amazing. (At that time, we were still dealing with the euthanasia drug shortage, and could only euthanize truly suffering animals.)
In late July, the drug finally became available again. As our shelter had become seriously overcrowded thanks to the nine month shortage, we had to make some really hard decisions. Snowflake was going to be one of them.
Our medical staff had grown quite attached to her, and the day she was supposed to be euthanized, two of our veterinary assistants begged us to try and find a rescue outlet for her.
So – we made a video and sent it out that night to various of our foreign rescue friends.
Go to http://vimeo.com/72530532 to view video
We were overwhelmed by the response. Rescue friends from Florida to Colorado responded almost immediately. Snowflake went from having no hope to multiple options!
It was like serendipity, fate and karma all rolled into one when the adopters of our swimmer kitty Noella (Read more …) offered to foster Snowflake via the Evergreen Animal Protective League (EAPL) of Colorado.
Everyone agreed this was the best possible situation for Snowflake as this family already has several special needs pets, and have the experience necessary to take care of her and get her ready for adoption.
It took a couple of weeks. A wheelchair had to be ordered. All the other logistical issues had to be dealt with. Finally, last Saturday, thanks to our friend Caryn Haynes who flew her plane here on a “detour” from Bimini on her way back to Ft. Lauderdale, Snowflake – and a few little friends also lucky enough to get out of dodge – winged their way to Florida, and on to Denver on Sunday.
The Humane Society of Grand Bahama takes in over 1,200 animals every year. Our staff deals with heartache and sadness every day, especially with all the neglect and cruelty we see. Sometimes we just despair, and it’s hard to hold onto hope. These happy stories literally give us the motivation and inspiration to keep going.
We could not do what we do without our supporters. Big thanks to everyone who not only donated for, and helped with this particular rescue, but who help on an ongoing basis. We always have a need for funding to save as many as we can. They all deserve a chance.
Please call us at 242.352.2477 or email us at [email protected] if you would like to help. There are so many ways to help. Donate, foster, adopt, volunteer!
For more on this story and to view a super heartwarming video go to:
